Lapse
by trimurti
Summary: Dragonmaster Alex ascends the stairway of Althena's throne, thinking of nothing but his beloved Luna. Unfortunately, he forgets to do something very crucial beforehand...


Lapse  
  
A Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete fanfic  
  
By Tenshi no Ai  
  
I do not own Lunar: SSSC or its cast of characters...I've always wanted a dragon companion, though.  
  


  
  
  
It was over.  
  
With one last pathetic, wheezing cough, Ghaleon's body began to disintegrate. Particles of the Magic Emperor shimmered briefly before burning out of existence. His words, however, still hung heavily in the dome of Althena's Tower.  
  
_I won._'  
  
Undaunted, Dragonmaster Alex prepared to climb the stairs to Luna. His friends huddled around him, as if to block out, to protect him from the last words of Ghaleon. He appreciated the gesture, but he could still hear those chilling last words, seeped in smug satisfaction.  
  
_I won._'  
  
_No_, Alex countered mentally, _you didn't win. We...I would've never let you win._   
  
_I love Luna too much to have ever let you win._  
  
Newly encouraged, he began to ascend the stairs to the hovering Goddess.  
  
To Luna.  
  
As his right foot touched upon the ninth step, he could hear the Goddess, with her voice steely and nearly crackling with winter frost, shout down at him. Remove yourself from my holy presence at once or suffer the swift consequences, human! Thick energy bolts landed just before Alex's feet, and he reflexively shuffled back a step.   
  
He moved forward.  
  
How dare you ignore my words, Dragonmaster! You serve me, and you will OBEY me! The bolts fell in front of him as if to punctuate her command.  
  
He kept going.  
  
You ignore the will of the Goddess at your peril, infidel! Again, the energy bolts fell.  
  
He still strode towards her.  
  
Lancelets of energy flew without warning, but he easily dodged them.  
  
He continued.  
  
I shall not warn you again, Dragonmaster! Leave here or forfeit your soul! This time, the bolts, pulsating with furious energy, came dangerously close to hitting Alex.  
  
Slightly unnerved at this final warning, he fingered the small leather pouch at his side, enough to hold just the barest essentials for his adventure, an uncomfortable nudging inside the deepest recesses of his mind making him feel as if...perhaps he had forgotten something.  
  
That didn't stop him, though. Not with the one he loved mere steps away...  
  
As he reached a few steps short of the blue-tinged illuminesence of the Goddess' energy, he heard her voice--so close now!--again. Your ignorance shall cost you dearly!  
  
Alex's hand slipped inside the pack, and he could feel two unused Angel Tears --  
  
Drink deeply from the cup of my seething anger!  
  
--and his ocarina.  
  
Immediately he tore the instrument out of his pouch, mentally cursing himself. Of course! His voice and his actions may not be able to reach Luna, so nearly overwhelmed by the persona of the Goddess, but the ocarina would! After all, he and Luna had spent countless hours threading a sweet alto voice and a hauntingly low ocarina tune into one melody...  
  
Alex and Luna had always been connected by the music of the Goddess.  
  
Twin bolts of deadly energy hit the young Dragonmaster, easily piercing through the protective wards and stiff material of the Dragon Armor and rending apart his skin and flesh as if they were constructed out of thin paper. The bolts' electric current pummeled through his nervous system, causing him to fling out the hand that had been racing to bring the mouthpiece of the ocarina to his open lips. The lightweight musical instrument soared through the air, landing at the dais just before the Goddess' floating body.   
  
Dragonmaster Alex crumpled to the hard step, unable to move his body enough to curl into a protective ball should the Goddess strike again. Struggling, he managed to crack apart his lips and whisper, Luna...wh...why have you done...this... He tried to say something more, anything to bring her back to her senses, but it was too painful to force any more words out. Slowly, almost teasingly, his world-renowned eyes began to close.  
  
_Luna..._  
  
Alex of Burg, Dragonmaster Alex, all that he was and all that he could have been, was dead.  
  
Murdered by the Goddess' hand.  
  
The Goddess, hovering in a column of pure energy, did not look with guilt or despair upon the young man that lay not twenty steps before her person. Instead, she was gazing at the white and red triangular object which lay just at her feet.  
  
It was a peculiar item, and the Goddess could not place it, but...she had seen an object like this once, a long time ago. It was a musical instrument...  
  
_Luna...'_  
  
...and the tune that floated out of it was used to accompany another's voice...  
  
_Luna?'_  
  
...and together, the two different tunes became one...  
  
_Luna!'_  
  
...but...  
  
_Alex, you're late again, silly.'_  
  
...but...  
  
_A boy and a girl, one playing that instrument, the other singing..._  
  
A single green energy bolt flew from the Goddess' outstretched right hand, shattering the ocarina easily.   
  
Its owner was dead. Half of the melody was gone.  
  
Let it be forgotten.  
  
  


~End~  
  
  


8/27/03: Because it seems that at least one person has never played the game the bad way', I should say this. This story is based on the alternative ending that can be achieved by not playing the ocarina on the steps leading up to the Goddess/Luna. Hell, all the lines that Luna says were taken directly from the game. So please, don't yell at the messenger just because you don't like what she says.   
  
Thanks for Even Now...':  
  
K'Authur, your review and subsequent email really encouraged me to continue writing Lunar fanfics. Thank you very much!  
  
Anon E. Mous, thank you. I tried my best. ^_^  
  
Alex, that is a very observant review. I thank you for the comments about the writing and mood, they were very appreciated.  
  
ChazA4, that was exactly what I was going for, to easily fit into continuity. I wish I had a save near Nash the chicken so I can beat him up at my leisure...  
  
Valerie, thanks! Er, but it's only supposed to be a one-shot!  
  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story...well, actually I hope it makes you depressed, but either way...and thank you for reading!


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